Spicy Asian Mango Quinoa with Chicken Wontons

Quinoa

 How to pronounce this grain-like seed: 

Many people don't know what quinoa is, or they're afraid to try it. Although the taste and texture might take some getting used to, quinoa can be prepared in tons of different ways, so if you don't like it upon first eat, don't give up.

The beauty of quinoa is that it's a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids. That being said, when you mix quinoa with beans or chicken, you get a pretty filling meal. Quinoa is low in gluten and is filled with tons of other essential nutrients like iron, fiber, Vitamin B, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It's a low cholesterol complex carbohydrate that has twice the amount of calcium as whole wheat and less fat than a typical grain.

Isn't quinoa wonderful? I cook with quinoa a lot, so I'll be posting a lot of recipes, but my favorite ways to experiment with quinoa are by mixing it with a ton of chopped vegetables. It also tastes great with lemon or tomato sauce, and I've even made quinoa pizza bites before.

This is my first time trying this recipe, and it was really easy and filling! I think I would add garlic next time though, for a little bit more flavor. I decided to add mango since I had the frozen chopped Trader Joes kind already in my freezer. I thought it added a nice touch.

Spicy Asian Mango Quinoa With Chicken Wontons 

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Quinoa 

(I prepared a full cup but only used half. If you are cooking for more people other than yourself, use a full, or more).

A couple green onions, chopped

Chopped white or yellow onions

Chopped mushrooms (I used shiitake)

Chopped garlic (I used powder, but I think it's more flavorful with fresh)

Chopped mango

5 Chicken Wontons/Gyoza

(I used the frozen kind from Trader Joes.)

Sriracha

1. Cook the quinoa first. There should be directions on the box, but if not, use two cups of water for one cup of quinoa.

If you want more flavor, you can also cook with chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of water.

Combine both the quinoa and the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes.

(Although just as I don't measure, I don't really follow time. I just look to see if it looks ready. The water should be gone and the quinoa should be soft and fluffy).

2. Chop your vegetables while the quinoa is cooking.

3. Sauté the veggies in a pan. The white onions should be soft and translucent.

4. Heat up your wontons. The ones I used only take a minute and a half in the microwave.

5. Once the quinoa is ready, combine everything! I combined it in the pan, because it's big and some of the flavor sits at the bottom, but you can combine in a bowl as well.

6. Put on hot sauce, as desired. I liked mine spicy, and it actually went really well with the mango and gave the dish a good kick.